Today would have been Buddy's birthday. Usually we would be baking a cake, decorating the house, fixing a special meal. Birthdays were (and still are) a big deal at our house. We won't be doing those things today. Buddy's having a party in Heaven and it is one we haven't been invited to yet.
We will celebrate today, just in a different way...it will be a little quieter. Our hearts will celebrate a man who loved us "to the sky and back". Today we are thankful that we got to walk for a while with him. Today we remember so many things that he brought to our lives that have helped shaped who we are. He was a loving husband, friend, brother, dad and we miss him more than words could ever say.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Glimpses of God
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
As many of you know, death runs in my family. I often have to make jokes about it, because sometimes it is just easier to laugh than to spend your life crying. My heart particularly breaks when it comes to my children. They have suffered so much loss and even though I am remarried, no one can replace their daddy. If you've ever gone through a loss, you more than likely have heard the verse above. It really is a great verse, but not one you want to hear when your world is falling apart.
I pray the above verse for my children. I pray that they will get glimpes of a Heavenly Father who loves them more than I, or their daddy ever could. I pray that He will make sense out of their tragedy at least enough sense to give them peace. Lately, they each have been getting some glimpses and I thought I would share not just about their healing, but about a God who loves them so much that He has not forgotten about them.
~Cole spent some time with his aunt, uncle and cousin over the holidays. He in particular has been struggling with where he belongs, does he fit in, etc. Uncle Greg spent a lot of time telling Cole stories about his daddy and their ancestors. I spoke with Cole while he was away and one of the first things he said was..."Mom, I have a family tree." I nearly lost it. You see, I don't think he knew that we all have family trees. It's something I had never thought to share with him. But somehow this small piece of info meant the world to him. He does belong, he has people and his tree is so long....I can't even find a frame for it! Thank you God for using Uncle Greg to heal a wounded heart and to bring joy to a crushed spirit.
~Katie was challenged at her "adopted" youth group(thank you FBC!) to reach out to people. Well, she had been noticing for quite some time that a boy sat in the lunchroom all alone day after day. Well this week she got up the courage to go speak with him. In the conversation, the boy opened up to her and told her that he had been lonely ever since his dad died when he was 8. She said "Mom, I almost broke down right there." She went on to tell the boy that she new exactly what he was going through. She said "Mom, maybe God is using my story to bring comfort to someone else, maybe I will be able to share Christ's love with him." Thank you God for showing Katie that you do have plans to do us good and that there is a reason for darkness in our lives, even though we don't always understand it. Thank you for placing someone in her path who is walking the same road. Thank you for giving her the opportunity to demonstrate your unfailing love.
I don't know why tragedy comes our way, I probably won't have the answers this side of Heaven. But I am thankful for the glimpses God gives us to remind us that He has a plan for us... and it's not to harm us, but to give us hope and a future.
As many of you know, death runs in my family. I often have to make jokes about it, because sometimes it is just easier to laugh than to spend your life crying. My heart particularly breaks when it comes to my children. They have suffered so much loss and even though I am remarried, no one can replace their daddy. If you've ever gone through a loss, you more than likely have heard the verse above. It really is a great verse, but not one you want to hear when your world is falling apart.
I pray the above verse for my children. I pray that they will get glimpes of a Heavenly Father who loves them more than I, or their daddy ever could. I pray that He will make sense out of their tragedy at least enough sense to give them peace. Lately, they each have been getting some glimpses and I thought I would share not just about their healing, but about a God who loves them so much that He has not forgotten about them.
~Cole spent some time with his aunt, uncle and cousin over the holidays. He in particular has been struggling with where he belongs, does he fit in, etc. Uncle Greg spent a lot of time telling Cole stories about his daddy and their ancestors. I spoke with Cole while he was away and one of the first things he said was..."Mom, I have a family tree." I nearly lost it. You see, I don't think he knew that we all have family trees. It's something I had never thought to share with him. But somehow this small piece of info meant the world to him. He does belong, he has people and his tree is so long....I can't even find a frame for it! Thank you God for using Uncle Greg to heal a wounded heart and to bring joy to a crushed spirit.
~Katie was challenged at her "adopted" youth group(thank you FBC!) to reach out to people. Well, she had been noticing for quite some time that a boy sat in the lunchroom all alone day after day. Well this week she got up the courage to go speak with him. In the conversation, the boy opened up to her and told her that he had been lonely ever since his dad died when he was 8. She said "Mom, I almost broke down right there." She went on to tell the boy that she new exactly what he was going through. She said "Mom, maybe God is using my story to bring comfort to someone else, maybe I will be able to share Christ's love with him." Thank you God for showing Katie that you do have plans to do us good and that there is a reason for darkness in our lives, even though we don't always understand it. Thank you for placing someone in her path who is walking the same road. Thank you for giving her the opportunity to demonstrate your unfailing love.
I don't know why tragedy comes our way, I probably won't have the answers this side of Heaven. But I am thankful for the glimpses God gives us to remind us that He has a plan for us... and it's not to harm us, but to give us hope and a future.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Brady Bunch
Here's a story...about a man named Brady....
Oh, the Brady's made blending two families look like a piece of cake. What they failed to show was that each cake is a different flavor, with different icing and when mixed together does not always look that pretty or taste that good. Yes, blending families is not an easy process. I read a book recently on successful stepfamilies that compared blended families to a crock-pot. The families that have the most success once combined, are those that are given plenty of time to "stew". The book states that typically it takes about 7 years for the blended family to evolve into its own identity.
The bright side? We have two years down and five to go! So we are plugging right along, stirring as needed and trying to allow God to be the head cook. So join us on our journey. Beware, it's not always pretty. Hopefully, you can see through the mess and find the beautiful creation that He is perfecting through us.
Oh, the Brady's made blending two families look like a piece of cake. What they failed to show was that each cake is a different flavor, with different icing and when mixed together does not always look that pretty or taste that good. Yes, blending families is not an easy process. I read a book recently on successful stepfamilies that compared blended families to a crock-pot. The families that have the most success once combined, are those that are given plenty of time to "stew". The book states that typically it takes about 7 years for the blended family to evolve into its own identity.
The bright side? We have two years down and five to go! So we are plugging right along, stirring as needed and trying to allow God to be the head cook. So join us on our journey. Beware, it's not always pretty. Hopefully, you can see through the mess and find the beautiful creation that He is perfecting through us.
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